Add Spherical Deflector To Castle microTower?

cogitech · 03:57 PM

Hello all,

As you may have seen in the Full Range Gallery, I have now completed my Castle-style microTowers (2x EL70). They sound incredible as they are, but I am contemplating adding a spherical deflector to the top-mounted drivers.

I have sourced some appropriately-sized wooden spheres which should match nicely and I have several ideas of how to suspend them above the drivers.

However, I am wondering if anyone has tried this before with these drivers in this particular speaker design.

Even if you haven't tried this, if you have any input/advice on using spherical deflectors (size, distance from driver, or other considerations) I'd be very interested to hear it. Even if you just think it is a plain bad idea for whatever reason, I'd like to know...

If you are wondering why I am contemplating this, it is because I think my room dynamics are creating an unbalanced sound with these speakers. The right speaker is about 4 feet from a corner, therefore the sound from the top driver is being reflected off the back and side walls and ceiling. There is no wall to the left of the left speaker, so the sound from the top driver is hitting the ceiling and back wall and being dispersed more widely, rather than being contained/reflected by a side wall as the right speaker is. The result is a fuller, "taller" sound from the right side of the sound stage.

I suspected this might be the case during the planning stages and I considering tilting the top drivers forward slightly, but at build time I made the decision to keep things as simple as possible, which for me meant 90 degree angles. My gut tells me that the deflectors will pull the sound down into a 360 degree radius and reduce the concentrating effect of the top-right corner of the room.

KyleinCowichan · 19th October 2011, 04:32 PM

There is a thread in the multi-way forum that evaluated deflectors and other devices. I think they had a generally poor view of the performance. There are measurements and lots of discussion.

Acoustic reflectors and piston drivers

KM

cogitech · 19th October 2011, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyleinCowichan

There is a thread in the multi-way forum that evaluated deflectors and other devices. I think they had a generally poor view of the performance. There are measurements and lots of discussion.

Acoustic reflectors and piston drivers

KM

Thank you. Wow, that's a whole lot of discussion. After reading half the thread, I think I might just temporarily install the spheres and sit down to have a listen

cogitech · 03:07 AM

Well, I rigged up some temporary stands and suspended the wooden spheres about 1.5cm above the centres of the drivers.

The result is a perceived increase in the highs. It seems that the spheres are diverting much of the high end (perhaps from 7khz up) out towards the listener rather than directly at the ceiling. I do not imagine that this response is even close to linear, but there is no perceivable down-side (not to these ears, anyway). Basically, it seems as though I am pulling some of the "air" from the top drivers away from the ceiling and spreading it out at ear level.

I'll have to listen to a lot more music to decide whether this is something I will make permanent.

One thing is for certain, spheres or not, these "Castle Towers" are some of the best speakers I have ever heard. I am hearing things in my music collection that I have never heard before, including the shockingly bad recordings, instrument distortion, etc. Too many times now I have thought there was something wrong with my speakers, performed a check with headphones through a separate system, only to find that the flaw was in the recording itself. Wow.

Radugazon · 20th October 2011, 03:21 AM

There is a similar idea , Planets, that has been developed by Duevel, on a two way basis.

No technical data, just the usual bla bla is available, but you can have a look.

I agree also that listening is the best way to test this evolution.

cogitech · 20th October 2011, 03:33 AM

Thanks. Yes, I saw mention of the Planets in the other thread. The consensus seems to be that there is some "snake oil" being sold there. I wonder how many of the consensus has heard them.

Radugazon · 20th October 2011, 06:11 AM

That's the limitation of any debate about exotic formulas. There are many opinions, but , by definition, very little have heard the object.

19th October 2011, 03:37 PM	#1
cogitech diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Kamloops, BC	Add Spherical Deflector To Castle microTower? Hello all, As you may have seen in the Full Range Gallery, I have now completed my Castle-style microTowers (2x EL70). They sound incredible as they are, but I am contemplating adding a spherical deflector to the top-mounted drivers. I have sourced some appropriately-sized wooden spheres which should match nicely and I have several ideas of how to suspend them above the drivers. However, I am wondering if anyone has tried this before with these drivers in this particular speaker design. Even if you haven't tried this, if you have any input/advice on using spherical deflectors (size, distance from driver, or other considerations) I'd be very interested to hear it. Even if you just think it is a plain bad idea for whatever reason, I'd like to know... If you are wondering why I am contemplating this, it is because I think my room dynamics are creating an unbalanced sound with these speakers. The right speaker is about 4 feet from a corner, therefore the sound from the top driver is being reflected off the back and side walls and ceiling. There is no wall to the left of the left speaker, so the sound from the top driver is hitting the ceiling and back wall and being dispersed more widely, rather than being contained/reflected by a side wall as the right speaker is. The result is a fuller, "taller" sound from the right side of the sound stage. I suspected this might be the case during the planning stages and I considering tilting the top drivers forward slightly, but at build time I made the decision to keep things as simple as possible, which for me meant 90 degree angles. My gut tells me that the deflectors will pull the sound down into a 360 degree radius and reduce the concentrating effect of the top-right corner of the room. __________________ I am glad I don't know what jitter is, otherwise I might hear it. Last edited by cogitech; 19th October 2011 at 03:57 PM.

20th October 2011, 03:02 AM	#4
cogitech diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Kamloops, BC	Well, I rigged up some temporary stands and suspended the wooden spheres about 1.5cm above the centres of the drivers. The result is a perceived increase in the highs. It seems that the spheres are diverting much of the high end (perhaps from 7khz up) out towards the listener rather than directly at the ceiling. I do not imagine that this response is even close to linear, but there is no perceivable down-side (not to these ears, anyway). Basically, it seems as though I am pulling some of the "air" from the top drivers away from the ceiling and spreading it out at ear level. I'll have to listen to a lot more music to decide whether this is something I will make permanent. One thing is for certain, spheres or not, these "Castle Towers" are some of the best speakers I have ever heard. I am hearing things in my music collection that I have never heard before, including the shockingly bad recordings, instrument distortion, etc. Too many times now I have thought there was something wrong with my speakers, performed a check with headphones through a separate system, only to find that the flaw was in the recording itself. Wow. __________________ I am glad I don't know what jitter is, otherwise I might hear it. Last edited by cogitech; 20th October 2011 at 03:07 AM.

20th October 2011, 03:33 AM	#6
cogitech diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Kamloops, BC	Thanks. Yes, I saw mention of the Planets in the other thread. The consensus seems to be that there is some "snake oil" being sold there. I wonder how many of the consensus has heard them. __________________ I am glad I don't know what jitter is, otherwise I might hear it.

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19th October 2011, 04:32 PM	#2
KyleinCowichan diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Cowichan Bay, BC	There is a thread in the multi-way forum that evaluated deflectors and other devices. I think they had a generally poor view of the performance. There are measurements and lots of discussion. Acoustic reflectors and piston drivers KM

20th October 2011, 03:21 AM	#5
Radugazon diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sulawesi	There is a similar idea , Planets, that has been developed by Duevel, on a two way basis. No technical data, just the usual bla bla is available, but you can have a look. I agree also that listening is the best way to test this evolution.

20th October 2011, 06:11 AM	#7
Radugazon diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sulawesi	That's the limitation of any debate about exotic formulas. There are many opinions, but , by definition, very little have heard the object.

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